Mail-box.



0. R. GIDLBY.

MAIL BOX. 7

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1 009 235 Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

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O. R. GIDLEY.

MAIL BOX. APPLICATION TILED DEC. 19, 1910.

1,009,235, Patented Nv.21, 1911.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR R. GIDLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oxford, in the county of Calhoun and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in mail boxes and more particularly to mail boxes of that character which are used in rural communities, the invention having for its principal object the provision of a mail box of the above character which may be easily and quickly erected, said box being provided with means to indicate when mail has been deposited therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mail box having a movable door, means normally holding the door closed, and means for holding the door open while the mail is being removed from the box.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a rural mail box of extremely simple construction and one which is of great convenience in use to both the carrier and the owner.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrange ment of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail box constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a top plan view; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing the door of the mail box open; and Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings 5 designates the body plate of which the mail box is formed, the intermediate portion of said plate providing a top for the box and having its ends bent at right angles to said intermediate portion to form the sides 5 of the box. The bottom of the box is also formed from a sheet metal plate 6, the edges thereof being flanged as at 7 and disposed against the inner faces of the sides 5 of the box to which they are secured by a plurality of rivets 8. One end of the bottom plate 6 is bent upwardly to form the rear Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 19, 1910.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911. Serial No. 598,015.

end 6 of the mail box. In mounting the box, the ends of the sides 5 thereof are disposed upon opposite sides of a post 9, the top of the box resting upon the top of said post while the rear end 6 thereof engages closely upon one side of the post. A plurality of rivets 10 or similar fastening devices are employed to rigidly secure the box upon the post. A brace bar 11 is also secured at one end to the post 9, the other end of said brace bar being secured to the bottom of the box adjacent to its outer end.

The door 12 of the mail box is formed from a sheet metal plate having its edges flanged as designated at 12. The flange on the upper edge of said door abuts against the top of the mail box. In said flange ad jacent to the side edges of the door are cut openings to receive the vertical parallel portions of a substantially U-shaped rod 13. The ends of this rod are rigidly secured to the bottom flange of the door. To the top and bottom of the mail box, guide lugs 14 are secured through which the ends of the U- shaped rod 18 extend. Leaf springs 15 are secured to the bottom of the box at one of their ends and at their other ends are movably engaged with the extremities of the rod 13. When the door 12 of the mail box is closed, the Ushaped rod 13 extends above the box as shown in Fig. 2. To open the door in order to remove the mail from the box the rod is forced downwardly thus moving the door to the position shown in Fig. 5 and forcing the leaf spring 15 downward. Upon the top of the mail box, a latch 16 is arranged. This latch is adapted to engage over the intermediate transverse portion of the U-shaped rod 13 to hold the door in its open position while the mail matter is being removed. A small spring 17 acts to normally hold the latch member in engagement with the rod. The latch is provided with a finger-engaging pin 18 upon which pressure is applied to force the latch member out of engagement with the wire rod against the tension of the spring 17 thereby allowing the springs 15 to return the door to its normal closed position. The door 12 preferably carries a button 19 which serves a handle. The door is also provided with an opening 20 through which letters and other mail matter are deposited into the box.

In order to indicate to the householder that the box contains mail, I provide a metal flag 21, the shank or staff 21 of which is rigidly fixed upon the end of an arbor 22 which is mounted at its ends in one side of the box and in a cover plate 23, the ends of which are flanged for close engagement with the side of the mail box. This cover plate provides a housing for the cog-wheel 24 which engages the teeth of a rack bar 25 mounted for movement through the opposite side flanges of the plate 23 and through a guide 26 arranged upon the side of the mail box. The outer end of the rack bar is provided with a button or head 25 by means of which said bar may be readily moved longitudinally to rotate the cog-wheel 24 and move the flag 21 to a vertical or horizontal position as indicated in the drawings. hen the carrier deposits mail in the box, he pulls the rack bar 25 outwardly, thereby moving the flag to a vertical position and indicating to the householder that the box contains mail matter. The rack bar 25 is pushed inwardly and after emptying the box the flag 21 disposed horizontally upon the side of the box as indicated in Fig. 1. The flange 12 on the upper edge of the door 12 and the top of the box are preferably pro vided with openings 27 to receive the shackle of a padlock so that the door may be locked in its closed position.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the device wherein one end of the leaf spring 15 is secured to the post upon which the box is mounted, and its free end disposed immediately beneath the mail box. To the free end of the spring 15 the end of the leather strap 28 is secured, said strap passing over a roller 29 mounted between the sides of the mail box and having its other end secured to the lower edge of the door of the box. The operation of this form of the invention is precisely the same as previously described. Both forms of the invention are equally efficient in practical use but the first described construction is preferable on account of its simplicity and low cost to manufacture.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation of the invention will be clearly understood. The device is extremely simple and may be easily and quickly arranged or erected upon the supporting post of a fence or other structure. The box is practically indestructible and affords an article of great convenience to both the mail carrier and the householder. Owing to the fact that but few elements are utilized in its construction it will be obvious that it is not liable to get out of order or require extensive repairs.

While I have described the box as being constructed from sheet metal plates, it will be obvious that I do not wish 'to be limited in the practical development of the invention to such construction as the materials used and the form, proportions and detail parts of the device may be greatly modified without departing from the essential feature or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is A mail box open at one end and provided at one side with guide lugs projecting from the open end and also provided on the same side, at the open end, with a spring-pressed catch, a door for and movable across the open end of the box and provided with inturned flanges, a U-shaped rod comprising a cross bar and parallel side arms, the said side arms operating in the guide lugs and extending through and being secured to the flanges of the door, and a spring to close the door, the catch co-acting with the cross bar of the rod to lock the door when the latter is in open position, against the tension of the spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR R. GIDLEY.

Witnesses:

W. H. GRIFFIN, L. H. MoKIBBIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

